Wrap-around beverage container carriers are available in many different styles and designs, some of which include end panels. End panels offer more area for printed material and also protect the labels on bottles from being scuffed or otherwise damaged during passage of the bottles through the packaging machine and during subsequent handling. In order to provide these functions at a minimum of expense, end panels have been used which do not fully cover the ends of the carriers and which are not connected at their bottom edges to the bottom panel of the carrier, thus reducing the amount of paperboard required for each carrier blank. End panels of this type are normally foldably connected to tuck panels which themselves are foldably connected to the top and side panels of the carrier. This arrangement requires that the carrier be designed so as to prevent the end panels from unfolding and springing out from their generally vertical position.
A number of different arrangements have been suggested to provide this function. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,398,856, issued on Aug. 27, 1968 to Graser, discloses an end panel arrangement comprised of three foldably connected tuck flaps, the central tuck flap having edges which are designed to frictionally engage the necks of beverage bottles to hold the flaps and the end panels in place. While this design works well with beverage bottles having necks for the central tuck flap to engage, it could not be used effectively with bottles having no necks. Bottles of this type have wide openings and are shaped more like a jar, leaving little or no room for engagement with a tuck flap.
It would be desirable to use wrap-around carriers of the type discussed to package beverage containers having no necks, and still be able to incorporate locking means for maintaining the end panels of the carriers in place.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention incorporates end panels which at least partially cover the ends of the carrier and which are foldably connected to tuck flap means. The tuck flap means is foldably connected to the top panel along the end edge thereof, and a portion of the tuck flap means extends between the adjacent article in the carrier and the top panel of the carrier to lock the tuck flap means and the attached end panels in place.
This arrangement can be carried out with a generally triangular center tuck flap and two generally triangular end tuck flaps connected to the center tuck flap along a fold line. Cutouts in the fold lines produce edges on the center tuck flap which are adapted to overlie portions of adjacent articles between the article top and the top panel. The cutouts also produce edges on the end tuck flaps which are adapted to engage the sides of the adjacent articles a short distance below the top of the article to further support the tuck flaps.
Other features and aspects of the invention, as well as its various benefits, will become more clear in the details description of the preferred embodiment which follows.